WIP Wednesday (sorta): 7/19/12

I know it's not Wednesday, but it’s been awhile since I’ve just shown you what I’m currently working on.  So here we go!

Evie’s Sweater – are you tired of hearing about this one?  Because I am.  Every time I think I get moving on it, something else catches my eye and I’m bored with it.  I really like the look, I think it’d be great on Evie for the winter, but I’m just not feelin’ it.  So…I’ve decided to frog it.  (And after starting it twice!)   I think it’s got something to do with the yarn and the pattern.  I’m using a heavier yarn than called for, and although I tried going up a needle size, I’m just not happy with what I’m seeing.  I’m sure I can find a better project for the yarn and I know I’ve got better yarn for this project.   This will be done during the Ravellenic Games for the Frogging event.  I’d like to match a yarn to the pattern as well and start over, we’ll see how far I get with that.  I want it to be green – green is Evie’s color. 

Ruche Beret – This is a pattern from my favorite designer, Susan B. Anderson. It’s published in the book, Weekend Hats.  I cast this on while I should have been doing other knitting but was instead procrastinating.  I’ve had the yarn for awhile now (I got it during the A is for Apples swap), and I’ve had the yarn caked for quite some time – waiting for the right pattern. 

My problem and delay in knitting with it is the quantity and composition of the yarn.  This is 170 yards of 100% alpaca.  It’s soooo soft and squishy and beautiful (it’s actually teal, by the way – not dark blue).  I only have one skein, which isn’t enough for any Alana Dakos beret pattern (I don’t think, anyway), and because it’s 100% alpaca, there will be a halo with the finished object.  I don’t mind a halo, but it also means that stitch definition can get a little lost. 

I also have really sensitive skin, especially around my neck and face.  I easily break out in a rash, and I can get hot really quickly.  So this meant the yarn could not be around my neck.  When Susan’s pattern was released, this was the first yarn that popped into my head.  Now, her pattern calls for DK weight and I’m using Sport, but I’m hoping it all works out alright.

I am having a hard time knitting on this right now, though, because we’ve had nearly 100 degree heat for the last couple weeks, in addition to the high humidity…I don’t want to knit with anything too fuzzy.  When I’m sticky, knitting with alpaca isn’t on the top of my to-do list.

Westknits Mystery KAL 2012 - I debated joining in, but this is good travel knitting.  We've only received clue 1 so far, and I've completed 14 repeats.  I'd share a picture, but I don't know who's reading the blog and I don't want to throw any spoilers out there.  If you want to see a picture of my progress, check out the pictures on my project page.  It's reminiscent of a couple other patterns Mr. West has out there.  I'm enjoying it because the repeats are quick and easily memorized.  There are some gorgeous projects going on!!

Finally, Sharktooth.  This is a Stephen West pattern, and it was part of a pattern/yarn club.  I had to wait for the pattern to be released before I could dive in, which was probably good anyway because I had a lot I wanted to complete when I first found this. I’m using Dream In Color Everlast in Jeans.  You can see the variation in the yarn.  Not something I normally gravitate towards, but it seems to work in this pattern.  In fact, I went in search of a yarn that wasn’t just semi-solid so I could replicate what Mr. West did.   There are three fan-like sections to this shawl.  I’m about half-way through the second fan.  I’m making the smaller size because I only have 1 skein of  yarn, but it should make for a nice scarf/shawlette.  I've pretty much got the pattern memorized...it's all just a matter of proper placement of increases and YOs (yarnovers).

What's in your project bag at the moment?  Anything you shouldn't have cast on, but you just couldn't resist?  Is summer time heavier or lighter on the knitting for you?

WIP Wednesday 4/11

Two weeks later and I'm finally posting again.  Ever get tired of me saying that I'll be better about posting more often?

I have made some progress on several WIPs.  In fact, at least half of what I shared last time is complete and just needs proper photos so I can share them with you.

What does that leave me with, you ask?  Plenty.

I'm still working on my Whippoorwill shawl.  I'm on row 78.  I had put it down for a while and couldn't remember exactly where in the pattern I had left off.  So the first time picking it back up again was slow going.  And the rows where I'm alternating skeins move slower.  But I'm on a solid-color section now and think it will go quicker again for a bit.  I have noticed a ruffly, rippled look forming where the increase rows are placed.  On each increase row you're increasing by several stitches each time.  I can't wait to see what the end result looks like.  This is a project I work on when I'm just not sure what else to do because I have some other required knitting to complete this month.

Evie's Sweater is still in my "active projects" bag, but it hasn't seen the light of day in a while.  But I want it finished before Fall arrives this year, so it'll probably get completed this summer.  I should probably get it back out again, double-check and document where I'm at in the pattern so I don't forget like last time.

I've started a new shawl.  The pattern is Be.Leaf by Kitmay Figueroa.  I'm participating in a swap in the Odd Duck Swaps of Ravelry group. The theme for this swap is Fairy Tales.  Take a minute to think about what how you define a fairy tale, and then another moment to think about all the different ways you can classify and define those two simple words.  Then throw the theme into a very large group of people and you get a very varied definition.  And I think it's fantastic!  Personally, I like a modern twist to the classic fairy tales.  I've come to realize that two of my favorite stories are Red Riding Hood and Rumpelstiltskin.  And it just so happens that my partner feels the same.  This helps when picking items for her swap package!  Okay, okay, I'm getting off track.

Anywho, I've knitting Be.Leaf because it reminds me of the forest.  I wanted to knit a shawl (I thought about a hood or cape to be representative of Red Riding Hood, but wanted something more practical, so shawl it was).  And I wanted the shawl to elicit the feeling of being in the woods, running from the wolf.  This shawl truly needs a post of it's own because of my thought process behind picking this shawl, but long story short - there is a leaf pattern that is unique and fit the theme and "feel" that I wanted.  I originally wanted to knit it in a gradient shawl, light moss green to dark olive green to brown, but I don't know that my partner really would have liked that.  So I settled for a darker teal color that should showcase the pattern really well.  I just cast on with Knit Picks Gloss Fingering in Kenai.  I'm still on the stockinette portion, but I love the feel of the fabric already.

I'm also participating in the H is for Hedgehogs & Hippos swap in the Itty Bitty group.  I haven't done a swap in a bit and I really wanted to do this one.  The Hedgehog to Squirrel toy by Susan B. Anderson is truly the cutest!  I've picked out the yarn for the Hedgehog and hope to cast on soon.

There are a few other knit swap goodies in the plan, but I'll have to see what time allows.  And I apologize that I have no pictures to share with you today - I have been so lacking in the picture-taking department!

WIP Wednesday 3/21

There are several items on the the needles at the moment and as I expressed yesterday, I'm starting to feel as though I'll never catch up.  Suffocated by my own knitting!! AGH! ;)  So it's time to crack that whip (haha...or WIP...I know...very lame joke...) so I can feel some freedom again.  (Mind you, these are all self-imposed projects.)

Squishy's new sweater needs blocking and the proper buttons.  It will happen this week.

I tinked back my bind off on the test knit to add another repeat and to bind off looser and in pattern.  Since the yarn is Cascade Soft Spun, I can easily felt the ends together - no weaving in ends - YAY!

I'm participating in a Mystery KAL (Knit-A-Long) for Elena Nodel, who has some amazing children's designs.  My friend, Lyndsey, has knit several of her patterns and I'm in love with them all.  I've only just cast on and I'm not sure how I feel about the yarn.  I'll work through Clue 1 and see if I change my mind. Otherwise, I'll frog and try something else (I am trying to use stash and I just don't have that much dk weight yarn).

I pulled out a UFO (UnFinished Object) this February.  Evie's Sweater is back (just in time for warm weather...).  I frogged my previous work and started again on larger needles as the fabric was too stiff and dense the first time.  I got distracted by Whippoorwill, though, so I need to get back and finish this.  I'm not that far from the end.

Last item to note is my Whippoorwill.  Row 65 or so, but want to be farther.  Alternating skeins is tedious but I'll stick with it because I know what I'll get if I'm patient.  When it's done, I'll be casting on Ruffle My Feathers for myself.

...and Be.Leaf for someone else.  :)

What's in your bag this week?

Ketchup

As I sit here staring at the blank screen, I’m trying to decide what I’ve shared with you and what is yet to show you.  I suppose I can go back and look through my blog posts as to what I’ve written about…but that doesn’t really help if I haven’t told you about some of my finished objects AND I can’t remember what those are…

(perhaps this needs no explanation...but every time I think of how to "catch-up" I think of "catsup" which to me should really be "ketchup"...so there ya go...) 

I will admit to being in a bit of a haze the last month or so.  February was full of personal obligations that left me without a lot of knitting time as it wasn’t my first priority.  Then as February passed, I had a giant list of things I wanted to knit – I was in overload!  And I wanted to knit them all right away. 

We fiber artists over on Ravelry fondly refer to this as startitus.   Yep, I was bitten by that bug.  And the end result has been that I’m a bit overwhelmed with all that I took on in the first week of March. 

I’m trying to find time to dye some bare yarn so I can participate in my own, hosted Dye-A-Long.  I have colors in mind, and even the method I’ll use.  Now I just need a couple hours to do so.  (My method requires constant attention because I want to try something new…)

I joined in the Fairy Tale swap on the “Odd Duck Swaps of Ravelry” board.  This looks very promising to be a lot of fun…but I honestly need to start giving it more attention because I’m beginning to fall behind. 

I test-knit a design, which was a lot of fun because I’d never done that before.  That was a really fast knit because I had to have it done by March 9 and I didn’t start it until March 5. 

Then came Spring Break.  Relief at last, you’d think.  Except that I was super busy.  Which was my own fault.  I was hoping to meet a friend from Ravelry, but it didn’t work out.  Another time, perhaps.  And the kids had their pictures taken on Wednesday.  Neither of these things really means I was super busy, except that I decided Squishy needed a new sweater for his pictures to match Lovebug and of course that meant I’d knit him one.  Yeah, stupid idea!! I knit it in 2 days and didn’t have time to block it before the pictures.  They both still looked cute.  And I still haven’t blocked the sweater…

I crocheted some dishcloths…those were fast.  And then there was a bridal shower for Mr. Man’s cousin, so I knit a dishcloth and crocheted a couple more for her.  All of which has kept my hands very busy. 

And finally…I’ve been DYING to cast on for Whippoorwill and though…March…definitely in March.  Well, I did cast on, and I’ve gotten through about 65 row or so (hooray!!) but haven’t been able to really dedicate a lot of my attention to it. 

I’m back to work and feel like I never had a break.  So much for taking things slow and easy. 

So you see, my friends… I have lots to share with you.  This post is seriously lacking in pictures, but I felt that each FO (finished object) deserved it’s own post…and some of the knits still need finishing details. 

I do have a finished shawlette/kerchief to share, which I’ve now worn several times and love.  Perhaps tonight while Hubby’s at work I can catch up and find my breath again. 

Do any of you ever feel overwhelmed or like you just can’t catch your breath?  What do you do s-l-o-w d-o-w-n a bit?  

WIP Wednesday: Finish or Frog

Suzanne, from KnittingKnirvana Video Podcast has sort of kicked me in the butt to get some things done.  She's challenged herself to either finish or frog any projects she had on the needles at the beginning of 2012 by January 1, 2013.  I think this is a fantastic goal to make for yourself, and certainly one which would help me clean out my project bags!   So I'm joining in.

I'm not going to stress about finishing old projects before starting new ones, but any lingering UFOs (UnFinished Objects) will be off the needles in one way or another by 2013.  Last year I had so many things going at once it was driving me crazy.  I had to work on them after Christmas.  And I finished several before I lost steam and got distracted by other pretties. :)

So what's my list?
1.  Evie's Sweater:  I cast this on last February for my little girl, Evie.  She'd just gone to the groomers and I'd mistakenly gotten her cut too short.  She was freezing in the cold weather and needed a sweater.  Too bad she never got one...
2.  Sinful Ribbed Scarf:  I have had this on the needles since I learned to knit.  It's so dreadfully simple I can't work on it for extensive periods of time.  I'm on my last skein of yarn, though and once that's gone it's done!   (You've all seen this one.)
3. Some Assembly Required:  remember this one?  I really just need to dig in and do it.  I have it in my head that it's going to be hard (I blame the designer for this one, she's the one who put the idea in there...) so I've avoided it.
4. Dream Catcher Baby Blanket:  this is going to be made with the leftovers from Some Assembly Required.  I can't finish it until I finish the above project.
5. Bathrobe:  love the look, hate the endless seed stitch (and it's only for a baby!).
6. Elly the Elephant:  my first crocheted toy.  My hands started hurting so I put it down.  Just have to finish the legs and I'll be done!

And as an informal WIP list I have:
1. Test knitting: This needs to be complete by March 9 so I'm plugging away at it.  I love the look, but think it will be too warm here by the time it's done to really enjoy.  So I'll save it for next fall/winter.
2. Whippoorwill: I've got the yarn caked and ready.  I was going to cast on March 1, but instead I started a test knit.
3. Bunny: For the Itty Bitty KAL - Bunny will be basic, very similar to the example in the book...but with accessories of some sort.  I haven't decided how I'm going to make it work yet.
4. Little Treasures: I think. Squishy needs a matching sweater for pictures with Lovebug next week. I know where to get the matching yarn without having to order online.  A week should be enough time, right? :)

And as an aside - I'm hosting a DAL (Dye-A-Long) in the Itty Bitty Forums.  I'll be doing my dying next week, although the idea is to start mid-March/early April and just go along until people have had the chance to try it.  Come on over and join the fun if you'd like!

So there's my list.  I'll share progress as I go.  As well as any current WIPs. :) Do you have lingering projects that you just can't seem to finish?  How do you motivate yourself to get them done?

In the Works

I’m sorry to say I don’t really have anything new to share at the moment (okay, that’s not entirely true…I have a few things, I just haven’t had the time to tell you about them…). 

So instead of showing you a finished object, I thought I’d share some of what I’ve had in the works for a little while. 

I finished a scarf a little bit ago and love it to pieces, although it hasn’t been cold enough to wear it much lately (it’s very warm).  The stitch pattern intrigued me enough I wanted to make a matching hat.  So I set out to design a pattern around it.

This is what I have so far…wha’d’ya think?  The sample is knit from some of my own handdyed, variegated yarn.  If it works like I want it to, and I have enough yarn, I’ll make it in the same yarn as the scarf. 

p.s. I’m so glad tomorrow is Friday!

WIP Wednesday 10/5

Did you see the things I finished last week?  It's nice to have something completed.  For awhile, I felt like I was knitting and knitting and knitting and had nothing to show.  And now it seems I'm on a roll.

This week I'm actually sharing a few pictures.  I prefer posts with pictures, why wouldn't other people?

While I scramble to finish some things for the Elephant Swap, my personal projects are on hold. Sort of.

The Baby Chalice Blanket has seen no love since last week.  So close to finished, but not yet.  See how big it's gotten?  This will block out to a beautiful size.

Elefante has no photos because...well...for one, she was meant to be a surprise.  But mostly because I haven't had to time to take any.  She's made progress.  There are poly pellets in her feet and belly, so she's feeling a little more grounded...her head is still just filled with fluff and up in the clouds...  But the real reason is because I had to put her on hold.  While sewing up the body the other night I realized I was sadly mistaken if I thought I could make this sweet little lady to my swap partner.  More details to be revealed in a later post as I don't want to give away who my swap partner is...but let's just say I was really bummed.

On the up side...I've started another Elefante (Take 2).  His name is Lollipop.  He is much different than his friend, cheery and a bit cheeky.  His body is near complete (I did that part first to see if the yarn would play well together) and I'm ready to jump in and work up the legs and head/trunk.  The ears will be saved for last.  I love him already and will have a hard time parting with him.  I just hope my swap partner finds him as wonderful as I do.

Then there are these mitts... The pattern is Ashbury Mitts and they are from the Interweave Knits Holiday 2011 issue.  I fell in love with them as soon as I saw the cover of the magazine.  The sample shown in the magazine is a yak/bamboo blend.  They look a bit more structured than mine.  My yarn is a silk/wool/bamboo blend.  I've got one whole mitt finished.  These came out smaller than the pattern says.  Turns out my gauge was off - instead of 6.5 stitches per inch, it was 7.5 stitches per inch.  So a little shorter and a bit more snug than expected.  But I love them so much!

These I knit for me.  Not because I wanted to keep the mitts, but because I was dying to knit the pattern.  See?  Process knitter.  In the end, I believe these will be gifted.  (Hence the "sort of" putting my own stuff on hold.)  These are incredibly soft and cozy.

Finally, I'm planning to start and complete a pair of Oak Grove mitts by Alana Dakos.  I had some yarn picked out, but after knitting the Ashbury MItts I think I will use the same yarn.  I plan to go up a needle size.  I've been hearing they run a tad small and I have big palms and long fingers.  But that's the beauty of knitting them myself.  I can made any modifications I need in order to make them just right.

There has been sewing in our house.  Can't say what.  Just that it's happening.  It's been hard lately to drag myself away from the couch (naps!) or my knitting, so the machine has been a tad lonely.  I always forget how much I enjoy it until I get back to my sewing corner.

So that's all for now.  Did I have enough to share this week?  What have you got planned for the next week or two?

Product v. Process Knitter

There has been a lot of discussion in the fiber world lately about whether you (as a knitter or crocheter) are a product or a process knitter.  I think I have those terms right...someone correct me if I'm wrong!  

(A general disclaimer:  It doesn't matter which category you find yourself under, or if you fit both.  Neither is better than the other and both have their place.  I find that I am a little of both depending on the time of year and how the mood strikes me.  I don't want anyone to think that I think you should be one or the other or that either is better than the other!!!)

A product knitter (this applies to crochet too, but I'll be using "knitter" since that's what I do most) is someone who likes to crank out as many projects as possible.  They're interested in the end product, and getting to use them or gift them.  They enjoy seeing the finished object and many times, they're making these items for themselves, their family or their friends.  Okay - maybe you don't feel like you need to knit as many things as fast as you can, but you revel in the finished object, the fact that it's completed. You have a specific purpose for this object.  You're likely to continue knitting a pattern even if you don't like it because you want that FO and you're going to beat the pattern, dang it!

A process knitter is someone who likes to learn as many new things as they can.  New techniques, new yarns, new patterns, you name it, they want to try it.  It's not necessarily about how fast you get things done, but rather the process of completing the project.  You may be someone who never keeps anything you make.  Instead, you knit because you enjoy the process of knitting.  It may be soothing, it may be your break in the day.  You relish learning new things and expanding your "knitting toolbox."  You may consider yourself a process knitter because although you keep most of what you knit, you don't always feel it must meet a purpose.  If you don't like a pattern, get frustrated over time, or just lose interest, you're likely to frog what you're working on, or put it in hibernation for a very long time.  You're not likely to knit something you don't enjoy.

Okay - I admit - these are VERY generalized descriptions of product versus process knitters.  And it's my own personal interpretation.  Again, neither is right or wrong, they just are.

I used to view myself as a product knitter.  I wanted something, I knit it.  I needed a gift, I picked a pattern and knit that object.  Even if I struggled or got tired of what I was doing, I kept on keeping on.  Because I wanted that end product.  Everything had a bit of a purpose.  Although I rarely made something just for me, everything had an intended recipient.  I find this was me in my early days of knitting.  I didn't peruse the patterns on Ravelry like I do now.  I never used to get online just to look at pretty yarn and patterns and finished objects of other Ravelers.

So then I thought perhaps I am a process knitter.  I love it when I learn something new.  Especially if it's something that's intimidated me, like intarsia or stranded knitting.  Boy, does colorwork scare me!  Lace knitting was never intimidating, but I avoided complicated patterns.  Now I find it a test of what I'm made of.  If I can tackle a lace pattern, I can do anything!  When a project is finished, I delight in that project, partly because I remember how much I enjoyed seeing the piece come to life.  I like to take photos and put the items on display for people to ooh and ahh over (who doesn't like to hear others compliment your work?!).  But it's not why I knit.  I think that's one reason I've started to struggle when finding a new pattern or project.  The feel of the knitting has to be just so for the moment.

And I'll be the first to admit that I get caught up in finishing things quickly.  I give myself deadlines, or have hard deadlines I can't miss.  So then it's a race with the clock.  It's easy to lose focus on how much I enjoy the actual knitting and how soothing it is for me to sit in the evenings, while watching tv, hearing and feeling the needles click in my hands.  If my hands are empty, I feel a bit unbalanced.  I'm trying to remember to slow down and enjoy what I'm making.  We put a lot of ourselves into our work. Although I don't really adhere to the idea of bad karma, etc. I don't think that a project knit in a big rush or a pattern you really hate can be sent off with as much love and excitement as that project that maybe languished on your needles a bit longer, but had copious amounts of love and attention knit into it.

So overall, what am I?  A hybrid of sorts.  Overall, I think I'm a process knitter.  I want to expand my horizons.  But those quick, easy, 1-2-3-off-the-needles items give me just as much joy!  At the end of the year, I'll count up the number of projects I've completed and pat myself on the back, congratulating myself for all I've learned.

Now it's your turn, readers.  Do you adhere to one type or the other?  Or do you find yourself a mix of both?  Does it bother you trying to label yourself one way or the other?

WIP Wednesday 9/28

It’s Wednesday again.  The week sort of started without me!  Actually, I was out of town for a conference Monday and Tuesday and now being back on Wednesday, I feel a bit behind.  Today has been spent playing catch-up as tomorrow I will be out of the office in the morning. 

I wish I could say I had a lot to share with you as far as that which is on my needles.  And at the same time, I’ve been busy and the needles have been clicking like crazy.  You see, although I have few WIPs, I HAVE finished some things.  Two things, actually.  But I will wait and share those another day since today is WIP Wednesday – not What Did I Finish Wednesday. 

The Baby Chalice Blanket is chuggin’ along.  I’m down to less than half a skein of my last Madelinetosh Tosh DK skein.  It’s probably more like a quarter, but it’s hard to guesstimate because it’s in a hand-wound ball and I never seem to judge them accurately.  My plan is to try and get one more full lace repeat and then knit the 10 rows of garter stitch border.  I want to use up every last bit if I can, so it may mean a little ripping and re-doing if I have a surplus, or ripping back to add the border sooner in case I run out. 

I’m still trying to decide where I’m going to block this blanket.  I’ve got mats and I’ll have wires (hopefully) by then.  But I want to give it a nice good soak and a sturdy blocking before I take the pins out.  There aren’t many Squishy-free locations in the house!

(Sorry – no pictures.  But really it looks just like the picture on the sidebar just longer.)

My elephant knit is still sort of stalled.  I’m afraid I may run out of yarn and I REALLY don’t want to rip out and start over.  But time is running out and stalling will only make it worse.  If I do have to start over I’ll have to knit double-time just to get everything finished.  Today I hope to get the poly pellet pouches made for the legs, body and trunk to give it a nice weight.

(And because this is a surprise elephant, I have no pictures to share here either.  I know, I’m boring today!)

That’s about all I have to share that’s still on the needles.  So how about What’s Next?  I’d like to knit a shawl, a nursing shawl.  I want it to be light enough that Lovebug doesn’t overheat, but weighty enough it feels good in my hands.  Anything too lacey or airy won’t work.  I’ve been perusing Stephen West patterns, and there’s a shawl in a recent magazine I picked up that I really like.  We’ll see where the wind takes me, but once I get these couple things off the needles, I think that’s where I’m going next.  

Or socks.  Because I want to try me-sized socks.  No idea of what pattern yet.  I have to think on that a little more. 

WIP Wednesday 9/14

Anyone else notice how quiet the blog has been lately?  I don’t really have  any excuses for you why that is.  I guess when I remember to post, I don’t have much to tell you about.  And when I do have things to share, I don’t have time to post. 

I’ve found myself a lot more relaxed about the knitting lately.  When I sit down in the evenings, if the needles aren’t clicking, I feel a bit as though the time is wasted.  But I can’t find the motivation or desire to pick up a project.  I’m blaming it on the pregnancy.  I had a real “gung-ho” attitude a few months ago and I was busting out projects left and right.  Now I’m back to not knowing what to do with my free time. 

So projects languish…  But I think I’m okay with it.  I have several projects I’d like to make but I don’t have the yarn for any of them.  I’m trying really hard to use stash yarn before purchasing more.  It’s fun to have lovely, shiny new yarn, but it’s not necessary. 

So what HAVE I been working on?  A few things.  I signed up for the next Itty Bitty Swap, E is for Elephant.  I’ve started the required knit item for this and I’m not quite half way through.  I’m not sure if I’ll have enough yarn, though, so I may have to rip back and find a 3^rd color to coordinate.  We’ll see.  I knit quite a bit of that this weekend.  I did realize I started knitting slower the more yarn I used because I was afraid I’d run out...lol – obviously knitting slower doesn’t affect the yardage used, but my mind sure thought it did!  I like how it’s coming together, but I’m near the point of needing fiberfill and polypellets so this is on hold for the moment.

The Baby Chalice Blanket is slowly and surely getting bigger.  I went over my progress with Mom the other day and we both think I should have enough yarn to make the dimensions look right.  When this is finished it will get a VERY healthy blocking and should grow considerably.  I’m so excited to see it done!

I have finished the first skein and ALMOST the entire 2^nd skein of yarn.  I’m alternating between skeins 2 & 3 at the moment, and I can’t wait until the 2^nd skein is gone.  I feel like my progress is much slower alternating yarns.  I do pump out about 4-6 rows a night, at least.  The only thing I DON’T have for this project are the blocking wires.  I can use pins and block it on a grid, but that’s not as…finished…as I’d like it to be. (I don’t mean it won’t be complete, it just won’t have quite the same look.)  I’ve heard about a few Etsy sellers who have blocking wire sets for about $20, so maybe I’ll be able to purchase some before the blanket is finished.   Either way, this blanket WILL be complete before Lovebug arrives.

I’m thinking about knitting myself some earbud covers (a casing for your earbud cords).  I’ve found two patterns, Untangled and Boogie Earbuds, that both seem simple enough.  Not because my earbuds are always tangling, but because they look fun and it seems like a good way to use up my sock yarn remnants.  The only thing is I can’t decide if I REALLY want knitted covers. 

In other news, I’m 31(almost 32) weeks along now and starting to get uncomfortable.  Sleep is hard to come by at night, which means frequent naps on the couch.  Baby moves a lot and seems to sometimes do so in response to Mr. Man and Squishy talking, which is fun.  Squishy wants Baby to come NOW because she’s getting big.  And when he gets dressed in the morning, he wants baby to get dressed too.  He’s felt Lovebug move a few times, to which he explains to me that “Baby wake up.”  It’s all very cute and I think he’ll be a fantastic big brother.

Maybe in the next week or two I’ll have more progress to report, until then have a fantastic week!

Devastated...

You all heard me rave last week about my latest WIP, the Baby Chalice Blanket.  I was zipping right along, enjoying knitting row by row, watching the lace pattern develop.  (Lace is really such a magical thing.  These designs that are put into strands of yarn, and how they transform with a little blocking…  anyway, I digress.)

I had started the 2^nd skein of my Madelinetosh Tosh DK and was 10 rows into the skein.  I look down, while watching some evening television with the family only to discover that my skeins do not match!!!  Oh my goodness, the horror!!  “Okay,” I thought, “maybe it’s just my imagination and the difference isn’t so bad.”  Not my luck that night.  Mr. Man spotted the exact place the color changed (and in poor lighting I might add).   My beautiful, perfect purple was considerably lighter and the color not as deep.

My next step was to wander (okay, run if it’s possible to do so via the internet) my way over to Ravelry to ask my trusted friends on the Itty Bitty forums.  They steered me right and after a very devastating evening I had a new plan. 

Originally, I was planning to rip out to the end of the first skein and continue on with skein 3 still in my stash.  But…I would still need an additional skein in the right color.  And without dyelots for this particular yarn, there was no way to guarantee that I’d get something that would match.

I put it away for the night.  Not a timeout, just…away.   The next morning I pulled out my cable and needs and riiiiiiipped it all the way back to the beginning to start over.

I compared skeins and I have 3 different shades.  If I do it right, by alternating skeins, I should be able to get a gradient effect by the time I’m finished.  I started with the lightest (and in a way, most disappointing of the 3 skeins…although disappointing isn’t really the right adjective because the color is still beautiful and the yarn is still lovely and squishy…).  I figure by the time I get to my last skein, I shall be basking in wonderful purple again and will encourage me to finish this little blanket with gusto.

It was sad to see all that work vanish.  But it’s also an important reminder to myself that it’s worth the time to correct mistakes and do things right.  This isn’t like leaving a purl in the middle of stockinette.  This was much bigger than that.  I know I’ll be happier with the blanket now that I’ve started over.  Some things just take more time.  

It did make me consider picking up Lego Man and putting some time into that project! 

WIP Wednesday 8/17

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm trying to relax and enjoy the process, instead of focusing so much on cranking out the finished objects.  I hope I'm not the only one who sometimes gets lost in "getting it done quickly."  I think part of the problem is there are just SO many things I want to knit!

I haven't touched the Dream Catcher Baby Blanket.  The intention was for that to be something I could knit when I didn't have other things that were calling my name.  At the moment, that means that it's sort of left hiding in the corner.  I'm glad I've got all the colors picked, though.  And perhaps once the Lego Man is finished, I'll put more effort into completing it.

Lego Man still only has a head.  Well, not even a head.  An almost finished head.  But this week I've felt it calling it me, asking me to work on it.  I've been catching up on the podcasts I follow (over the summer I sort of stopped watching) and I think Erin from Mommy Needs Yarn pinned the problem on the nose.  Erin is working on the Evenstar Shawl and she's talked several times about how she put it down for awhile and all of a sudden it became this big, daunting task to knit on this shawl.  But when she picked it back up and just took it row by row, she found it really wan't too bad.

That's what I'm feeling with this Lego Man.  I like to read other knitter's project comments ahead of time so I know where I might encounter problems, etc.  This is one instance I should have just started, not bothering to listen to anyone else.  I read a lot about how difficult the pattern was, etc.  Now that it's been sitting for awhile, I feel as though the project has gotten to big for me.  But this week, after listening to Erin, I don't feel so bad about it.  I want to get this toy done for Squishy and I think if I just take it row  by row it will be complete before I know it. :)

Finally, I mentioned yesterday I had cast on for a new project. I cast on the Baby Chalice Blanket by Lykkefanten.  I have been browsing the baby blanket patterns for awhile now and finally settled on this one.  I really liked how this pattern looks with a tonal yarn, even with the lace pattern.  I chose to knit this with Madelinetosh Tosh DK in the Flashdance colorway.  Flashdance is a lovely, tonal plum color that will be rich and beautiful for our little girl. :)

I don't want this to feel like it's taking forever, so I'm trying to be patient and enjoy watching the lace details reveal themselves.  I've finished the first skein and gotten through 3 lace repeats and I love this.

The pictures make this look a little more blue than it really is.  The color actually sits at the perfect spot between being too blue and too red.  I'm a little concerned I don't have enough yarn for the size I want.  I have 3 skeins, but I might need 4.  I increased the cast on from 83 to 135 and I'm using US 9 needles instead of US 10s.  When I get close to the end of the 3rd skein, we'll see where I sit.  It's possible that blocking will solve the size problem.

What's on your needles this week?

Feeling Relaxed

I have some finished objects ready to show you all, but not today.  I need to get a few items in the mail yet and I need to find some buttons to truly complete a couple projects.  (I really prefer to share things when I’d consider them ready to be gifted.)

I’ve been getting some really great response and feedback from the Applied I-Cord Tutorial I posted a few weeks back.  I’m so glad to hear from other knitters, telling me it helped them finish their cardigan.  That was my hope.  Perhaps this weekend I can even get a video tutorial posted as I’ve been meaning to do!

Over the last week I feel as though I’m a bit more focused with my knitting.  I’ve cast on a new pattern that I am loving!  I’m knitting with gorgeous yarn and I find it all scrumptious.  Truly, I am enjoying this project.  It won’t be finished quickly, but I’m happy to just sit and knit and not feel rushed about it all.

I’ll save the WIP details for tomorrow’s post, but wanted to stop in and say hello on a day other than Wednesday.

WIP Wednesday 8/10: Help Me!

First off, the Dream Catcher Blanket and Lego Man have gotten no love.  But I did pick out the additional 2 colors for the blanket Monday night. 

Now that the baby socks are done, I need help.  I’m ready to knit a pair of socks for Squishy.  I’m using a high variegated, multi-colored yarn, so I think  a plain vanilla or ribbed sock would be wonderful.  But since I’m new to the sock world, I don’t know where to start.  I peruse patterns and just feel like I’m at a loss for what to choose.  Any favorite patterns out there for toddler feet?  Simple is best.  The pattern doesn’t need to be for beginners, but it’s okay if they are.  I just don’t know where to go from here.

And because I couldn’t resist (babies are so irresistible, aren’t they?), I started a baby cocoon.  It’s the Button-Up Baby Wrap by Kimberly Wood.  Knit on large needles with chunky yarn this project sprouts wings and flies off the needles!  I finished 8” of the cocoon in about 1.5 hours and would have finished the remainder by now if I haven’t been so busy.  Yes, there is a second one already planned.

I’m modifying the pattern (as I seem to do a lot these days) for a 2 x 2 twisted rib of sorts.  I’ll share more about that when I’m finished. 

So needles are clicking and my knitting is in motion.  I’m trying to take things slow and enjoy what I’m working on, but it’s just so darn hard when I’ve got so much I want to knit before Lovebug arrives! 

Do you ever find yourself in the same boat as me?

WIP Tuesday??

It’s Tuesday and I don’t really have a whole lot to share with you.  I’ve been preoccupied with other things that take priority and so my knitting has taken a backseat.  And it seems that even when I do have time to sit down, relax and knit for the evening, I can’t find the motivation.

With that said, I have made some progress on a few things.  I won’t be posting a WIP post tomorrow, so I’ll share a bit today.  Lego Man remains at the same point he was last week.  What’s holding me up this time?  I have to go downstairs and find my fiberfill (I know right where it is) and pack a ziplock bag full of it to take back to my knitting bag.  Hard, right?  Just a few steps down and back up and I’d be ready to roll.  Nope, still haven’t done it!  After next week I’d like to put some real effort into working on that project.  Now that I’ve started it, I’m feeling more confident that I have the skills necessary to make this a wonderful toy.  While I’m not usually one to worry if my knits don’t look exactly like the picture, I know I’ll be disappointed if this one doesn’t, so I sort of feel as though I’ve gone into this project with too many expectations of myself.  Then again, you know that saying?  “Reach for the moon and you’ll fall among the stars.”  That’s the mentality I’m trying to maintain here.

I’ve finished 1 more Harris Tweed Square on Squishy’s Dream Catcher blanket and have started the 4^th HT square.  Once the 4^th square is done, I’ll have 20% of the blanket done.  I may make it bigger than 25 squares, but I’m aiming for 25 and then I’ll wait to see what I think of the size.  On a side note, and certainly something I’ll be mentioning later on…  the yarn is acrylic.  And I’m going to block it.  Yep, you heard me.  I’m going to block my acrylic squares.  Then no matter how many times I put this thing through the wash, I will never have to reblock it again.  I’ve found some great resources and how-tos on blocking acrylic and I think I can make it work.  I’m actually really excited about this because I think it will really finish the blanket nicely.

I finished a baby hat for Lovebug.  I’ll share pictures another day.  

As for other WIP news…well Friday marks 24 weeks for Lovebug and me.  She’s moving around quite a bit now (or rather, I feel her more now).  She seems to really like chocolate milk because she always gets really active after I’ve had a glass.  We went to the last Harry Potter movie the other night and I thought she’d move around a lot with all the noise, but she didn’t.  (About this time, babies can hear loud noises outside the womb and recognize familiar loud noises like the vacuum and your dogs barking…like mine love to do…)  Instead, it was when we got back to Mr. Man’s mom’s house that she started moving a ton.  Maybe because it got so quiet?

I’ve had horrible heartburn that attacks every night. Pepcid and TUMS are my friend right now.  There’s a more noticeable belly now too. 

Lovebug has a good selection of clothes at the moment, ranging from 3-6 months up to 18 months.  Very cute, adorable girly things that I can’t wait to dress her in.

So that’s what’s new with me this week.  I think near the end of the week we’ll be heading to the Demolition Derby at the County Fair.  Squishy will love it and Mr. Man actually gets to come along this year!  Hooray!

WIP Wednesday 7/6

I've hit a lull in my knitting, which probably makes sense if you've been reading the blog for the last week or so. I wouldn't say I burned myself out, but for a good while, I was planning what I wanted to knit, one right after another. Once I finished the last baby cardigan, I realized I didn't have anything specific lined up to knit next.

I thought I would find this a bit liberating, but what I'm coming to learn is that I fumble a bit when this happens. Every time I get the chance to knit whatever I want, with no specific project in mind, it takes me forever to pick something and knit it. And it feels as though it's because there's no drive or motivation behind any one pattern.

I've been wanting to knit Some Assembly Required for Squishy. I thought he would enjoy all the interchangeable pieces. Actually, I know he'll enjoy it. But I've procrastinated for almost a week from casting on because of the provisional cast on. I've done it before, but it was done poorly. And although I've watched a couple videos, I don't feel as though I have mastered the technique yet.

So instead, using the yarn I purchased for the toy, I started a blanket. I've knit 1.75 squares from the Dream Catcher Baby Blanket pattern on Spud Says by Susan B. Anderson. I have 3 colors - navy, gray and yellow in I Love This Yarn. It's a cheap, acrylic yarn, but it's pretty soft and not too squeaky. I don't mind working with it. I thought it would be a nice, cheap, durable yarn for a toy that's likely to get a lot of use and love. Normally I would splurge on a higher quality fiber, but with a tight budget and the need to be knitting something, Hobby Lobby is the place to go at the moment. (I would have knit from stash but I didn't have anything that really suited my needs.)

I like the blanket squares because they're mindless and give me something to do while I gather the courage to cast on for this giant Lego Man. Some time down the road I'll pick up 2 more colors to round out the blanket. Also, I feel the need to mention that I knew I would have well beyond enough of this yarn after the toy was finished, and felt obligated to find another project to use this yarn on. I thought about a crocheted blanket, but I wasn't quite ready to dive back into really thinking about crochet and Susan's pattern is so simple and lovely I couldn't pass it up.

So that's what's on the needles this week. Probably a pair of baby socks as well, seeing as how they're so quick. :) I've also got a couple gifts I need to get started so I can send them on their way.

What's on your needles or hook this week?

Applied I-Cord: A Photo Tutorial

Recently, I knit a baby sweater that called for an applied i-cord edging around the front and neck.  I had a really difficult time understanding the written directions, so I went in search of a video tutorial on YouTube. I found a couple that were similar to what I was looking for, but nothing that explained the technique in the same way the pattern had it written.

Since nothing was exactly like what I wanted, I did a mash-up of THIS YouTube video, the written instructions, and my own ideas on what I wanted the edging to look like.

After reading through the project pages for the pattern, it seemed like a few people struggled with this technique, so I decided a photo tutorial might be helpful as well.  My technique is not the same as what was in the pattern, but I think the end result looks nice.

I hope these photos are helpful to some of you as well!

Let's get started!
There is a lot of knitting stitches onto the right-hand needle and then transferring them back to the left-hand needle.  It's fiddly, but it works.

It's helpful if you read through all the steps and look at all the photos at least once before you attempt to knit at the same time.  It may not make sense while reading it, but once you start knitting, it should become clearer.

1. First, slip all of the required stitches onto your designated circular needle.  

(You will only need 1 circular needle to do this technique.)

2.  Cast on the number of stitches instructed in the pattern onto the right-hand needle of the circular needle.  

(In the above picture, the needle resting in the middle of the sweater is the right-hand needle.)

(In my case, I needed to cast on 2 sts.)

3.  Move the cast on stitches from the right-hand needle onto the left-hand needle. 

4. Knit the first stitch on the left-hand needle.  

5. Slip the 2nd stitch as if to knit. 

(You now have 2 stitches on the right-hand needle.)

6.  Slip the 3rd stitch (which would be a picked up edge stitch) as if to purl.

7. There are now 3 sts on the right-hand needle.  (One knit stitch and 2 slipped stitches.)

8. Move the 2 slipped stitches back to the left-hand needle and knit them together through the back loop (you have now done a SSK). 

9.  You now have 2 completed stitches on your right-hand needle.  

10.  Move these 2 completed stitches back to the left-hand needle.  Wash, rinse, repeat. (In other words, you do steps 4-10 over and over again, until you either 1) reach a buttonhole or 2) have gone all the way around your project and are ready to bind off.)  Your next step here would be step 4, knit the first stitch. 

Applied I-Cord for Buttonholes

1. In my project, the cardigan calls for buttonholes along the applied i-cord.  To prepare for this, when picking up stitches, I skipped picking up one stitch because this is where the buttonhole would be placed.    At this point, you have done steps 4-10 of above until you reach your skipped stitch.  Do you see the 2 garter ridge bumps in the photo below?  Between those bumps is my skipped stitch.  

2. Now that you've identified buttonhole placement, place the two sts from the right-hand needle onto the left-hand needle.  (You've done this much lots of times before...just stick with me for a moment.)

3.  Now, instead of knitting the first stitch and slipping the 2nd stitch, you are going to knit 2 sts.  (So the 2 sts you just placed back on the left-hand needle will both be knit.  Do NOT knit them together, just k2.)

4.  Here are your two knit stitches on your right-hand needle.  

5.  Slip the two knit stitches back to the left-hand needle and continue as from the top with steps 4-10 (knit 1 st, slip 1 knitwise, slip 1 purlwise, k2tog tbl). 

6.  Do you see what this does at the buttonhole?  You have knit a portion of your i-cord as you would any normal i-cord, leaving a gap for the buttonhole, and kept your knitting from puckering.  Do you see my buttonhole in the photo below?

7.  From this point, you continue this technique over and over.  My pattern called for buttonholes every 4th stitch, so I have a total of 7 buttonholes.  Your item may not have any buttonholes.  Keep up the k1, s1 knitwise, s1 purlwise, k2tog tbl - move back to left-hand needle.  When you reach the end, bind off as you normally would any i-cord.  In the above linked video the woman uses an invisible cast-on and then does  a kitchner or 3-needle bind-off to pull it all together since she's going around a blanket edge. 

I hope this was helpful.  It still feels clumsy and complicated to me in just written and photographed form, so I plan to try getting a video tutorial added to this as well.  Until then, feel free to contact me  with any questions you may have regarding the tutorial and I'll do what I can to help.